Flush valve control



July 21, 1942. L. P. EDES 2,290,679

FLUSH VALVE CONTROL Filed Oct. 8, 1941 2 3 I Zmvento;

Patented July 21, 1942 UNTED stir 3 Claims.

The inyention relates to a flush valve control as used in toilets, and of such type that all the water will not be discharged from the flush tank when the valve is opened, but only such amount of water as will serve the objective end, and this without change in the full head of water normally contained in the tank.

The objects of the invention are:

To provide a control as above referred to through an attachment to the valve control normally employed where substantially all the water in the tank is discharged on opening the valve;

To provide a control in which newly added parts inexpensive and easily attachable and will fit within any tank however the fixtures therein may be arranged; and

To provide a control in which the includes an adjustable float so arranged as to admit of all desired ranges of adustability dependent upon the amount of water desired to be withdrawn from the flush tank.

The invention can best be seen and understood by reference to the drawing in which- Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a flush tank and attached part valve control with attachment embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section of the butt later to be referred to, as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig, 4 is a view mainly in side elevation of a slightly modified construction.

Referring to the drawing: 5 represents a flush tank with fitting 2 located in the bottom of the tank and containing an outlet passage 3 through which water passes out of the tank for flushing purpose. Water is admitted to the tank by way of an inlet which is opened and closed by valvular means (not shown) which, in turn, is controlled by a float 4 in the usual manner. The outlet passage 3 is controlled by the commonplace type of hollow valve 5, usually made of rubber, which closes against a seat 5 in the top of the fitting 2 at the entrance to the outlet passage. The valve is borne by a stem 1 threaded to fit into the top end of the valve. Loosely connecting with this stem is a link 8 flexibly connected to a lever B operated by a handle ii! for raising and opening the valve as the lever is turned. Arranged within the tank, and preferably connected to the fitting 2 at the bottom of the tank which contains the outlet passage, is an escape pipe [2 opening into the outlet pasage below the valve controlling it, and through which water may escape when for any reason water rises too high within the tank.

Connected to the escape pipe is a bracket l3 through the end M of which the stem 1 of the valve extends. The end 54 of the bracket is preferably made to provide an elongated bearing for the stem in order that the stem may slide vertically therein as the valve is opened or allowed to close, thus assisting in insuring proper seating of the valve on its valve seat. The parts thus referred to are those ordinarily found in a flush tank, and have the following operation. It will be assumed that the tank is filled with water, and that one opens the valve which controls the outlet passage by turning the handle which operates the lever for opening the valve. When the valve is opened, and thus relieved of the forces acting to hold it closed, it will, on account of its buoyancy, float in the contained water, it being assumed that the operator has then let go of the operating handle. Consequently the water within the tank, including water admitted thereto through the inlet opening due to the drop of the float as the water content in the tank diminishes, will flow out of the tank until the valve loses its buoyancy and then is allowed to drop closing the outlet passage. This occurs when the tank has become substantially empty of water.

Associated with the usual fittings thus provided; and thus operating, is an attachment which comprises the following parts. Arranged upon the valve stem 1 adjacent the valve is a butt [5. This butt is made of metal, and it is preferably connected to the stem by boring therein a threaded opening it through which the threaded end of the valve stem extends before its attachment to the valve. A locking nut I! is preferably provided upon the stem which tightens against the top side of the butt, while the top end of the valve into which the end of the stern is projected, bears against the bottom side of the butt when tightened to bear against the butt.

Borne by the butt is an upright standard or arm l8. This standard at its bottom end fastens into the butt in any suitable manner, as by boring an opening therein into which the bottom end of the standard fits, or, if desired, the connection may be made a threaded one. From the point of its connection with the butt the standard turns outwardly away from the stem of the Valve and thence extends upwardly parall l with the valve stem, but well spaced from it. The standard preferably rises to a point well above the bracket supporting the valve stem when the valve is occupying a closed position. Adjustably connected to the standard is a float 29. The connection is made by fitting the float with a short threaded stub 2| which is threaded through a sleeve 22 slidable upon the standard. By turning the float its threaded stub will tighten against the standard for holding the float in adjusted position dependent upon the location of the sleeve on the standard. Thus arranged the float 20 bears an out-of-the-way position and will not interfere with any of the contained parts. Connected to the butt are arms 23 which embrace the escape pipe 12 and are slidable thereon. These arms keep the float from swinging around the stem within the tank, which otherwise might prevent proper seating of the valve in closure. In fact the attachment as a whole assists in properly seating the valve in closure, for the reason that it provides a pendant weight on the valve stem just above the valve thereby tending to center the valve with relation to its seat. In this connection it will be observed that the arms 23 which embrace the escape pipe are in counterbalancing relation to the standard l8 and float borne by it. Accordingly the attachment as a whole, which includes the butt, presents a more or less balanced weight which assists in centering the valve for a proper seating in closure.

The general operation of the parts fitted with the above described attachment is as follows: The weight of the attachment bears a certain relationship to the buoyancy of the float 2!). The weight of the attachment, eliminating the factor of buoyancy of the float 29, or substantially eliminating such buoyancy, is suficient to close the valve 5 when opened. The buoyancy of the float 20 when fully submerged in the contained water, is sufficient, however, to relieve the valve 5 of the weight of the attachment which otherwise would tend to close it when open. Consequently the valve will remain open, when opened, as long as the float 28 remains submerged in the contained water, or retains its buoyancy. When, however, the water in the tank, after the opening of the valve 5, has drained down to a point where the float 20 has lost its buoyancy then the weight of the attachment will overcome the buoyancy of the valve 5 to close the valve. Consequently any desired amount of water may be withdrawn from the tank, dependent upon the adjusted position of the float 20 on the standard 18. The proper relationship between the weight of the attachment and the buoyancy of the float 20 may be brought about through change r in the weight of the butt I5 which may be easily and inexpensively arranged for.

In Fig. 4 a slight modification is shown in that the valve stem and valve borne by it may turn freely with relation to the butt. Here the valve stem extends through an opening 24 formed through the butt, and the butt is secured to the stem by nuts arranged upon the threaded end of the stem above and below the butt and fixedly secured in place by lock nuts 26. The valve 5 fits onto the threaded end of the stem the same as before excepting that the valve will tighten against one of the lock nuts instead of against the butt as in the arrangement first described. This modification, by insuring turning of the valve stem with relation to the butt, enables the valve to turn in relation to its valve seat and thereby reseat itself at different points as the valve is operated.

I claim:

1. In a flush tank having an outlet passage. a valve possessing buoyancy controlling said passage, mechanism including a valve stem for opening said valve, and an escape pipe, the combination therewith of an attachment including a butt arranged upon said stem, a standard fixedly secured to said butt andrising with in said tank in a position spaced from said stem, a float secured to said standard and adjustable thereon, and arms. connected to said butt and extending therefrom to embrace said escape pipe and be slidable thereon for preventing swinging of said float with relation to said stem within the tank, said attachment being of suflicient weight to effeet the closure of said valve when open when relieved of the lifting force exerted by the buoyancy of said float by fall of water within said tank, but of insufficient weight to effect the closure of said valve as long as the lifting force exerted by the buoyancy of said float is maintained.

2. In a flush tank having an outlet passage, a valve possessing buoyancy controlling said passage, mechanism including a valve stem for opening said valve, and an escape pipe, the combination therewith of an attachment including a butt arranged upon said stem adjacent said valve, a standard fixedly secured to said butt and rising therefrom within the tank in a position spaced from said stem, a float secured to said standard, and arms connected to said butt and extending therefrom in counterbalancing relation to said float to embrace said escape pipe and be slidable thereon for preventing swinging of said float with relation to said stern within the tank, said attachment being of sufiicient weight to effect the closure of said valve when open when relieved of the lifting force exerted by the buoyancy of said float by fall of water within the tank, but of insufficient weight to effect the closure of said valve as long as the lifting force exerted by the buoyancy of said float is maintained.

3. In a flush tank having an outlet passage, a valve possessing buoyancy controlling said passage, mechanism including a valve stem for opening said valve, and an escape pipe, the combination therewith of an attachment including a butt arranged upon said stem adjacent said valve, a standard fixedly secured to said butt and arising therefrom in the tank in a position spaced from said stem, a float secured to said standard, and means connected to said butt and extending therefrom in counterbalancing relation to said float to loosely engage said escape pipe and be slidable thereon for preventing swinging of said float with relation to said stem within the tank, said attachment being of suflicient weight to effect the closure of said valve when open when relieved of the lifting force exerted by the buoyancy of said float by fall of water within the tank, but of insuflicient weight to effect the closure of said valve as long as the lifting force exerted by the buoyancy of said float is maintained.

LOUIS P. EDES. 

